Merumeru

CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONMerumeru was a male Wookiee from the planet of Kashyyyk. (Source Wookieepedia)

REQUIRED ITEMS:

1. HEIGHT

7’ Minimum

2. BODY

Complete hair suit using natural or synthetic fibers (Human, Yak, Kanekalon, or NFT). Hair should be primarily dark brown with blonde patches on the chest, stomach, shoulders, back, back of calves, and front of thighs. Hair should average at least 6 inches or longer, but 8-10 inch long hair is preferred. Complete coverage is required; no bald spots or exposed skin/undersuit.

Faux fur is not allowed, as it is not long enough. No yarn or shag carpet Wookiees. The Rubies Supreme Edition Chewbacca suit is NOT acceptable even with modification. The quality these materials is inferior to what can be achieved with latch hooking or National Fiber Technology, or other methods. The hair must maintain a consistent quality/type throughout the suit.

Arm length must be proportionate to that of the overall body look. No T-REX Arms.

A muscle suit may be worn beneath the fur to create definition as seen in the Star Wars films, so long as it maintains the correct proportions (i.e. No Incredible Hulk Wookiees).

3. HANDS

Dark brown, gray, or black gloves should be worn, but are not required if your hands remain hidden by fur. There should be enough overlap between the gloves and the wrists of the hair suit that no skin is exposed. Gloves may be made of leather, vinyl, cloth, or rubber. Claws/nails are encouraged, but not required.

4. FEET & TOES

Feet must be completely covered with hair except for the bottom and the toes.

For stilted Wookiees, toes MUST be visible to create the look of a foot. 3-6” may be required depending on the style of stilt.

For those who use Kiss boots, or lifts, a hint of the claws is recommended for OT Chewies and full toes for PT. The same stands for those naturally above 7’ tall.

5. MASK

The mask must completely cover the head and neck, without completely obscuring the shape of the shoulders. The eyes, a smooth black nose, and a large jaw/muzzle should all be clearly visible.

The mask hair should be smooth and well groomed, not bushy, so that the mask’s shape and structure are clear. Merumeru’s mask should be blonde around the beard, cheeks, and eyes. The bridge of the nose, forehead, top of the head, and back of the head should be dark brown. There are seven dreadlocks present: four in the front, two blonde, two dark brown, and three dark brown in the back, all adorned with silver, cylindrical beads.

Static masks should not be frozen in a fully opened position. All static mouths should be closed.

Although a functioning jaw and/or lip snarl is not required, the skin and lips of any mechanical masks should appear as one piece, rather than a separated jaw and face. This refers only to the mask’s outward appearance, not the underskull. Costumers should be aware that mechanical jaws and lips are complex projects requiring purpose-built components using special materials. They cannot simply be added to an existing latex rubber mask. Consult the costuming resources and fellow Wookiee costumers for advice on this project.

Eye makeup (shades of black or brown) should be worn around the eyes and completely cover any exposed skin.

5. ACCESSORIES

Dark brown leather or faux leather harness with a Y-shaped, a V-shaped back, and a belt around the waist. The strap should be approximately 3 inches wide with a narrow center strap, with large metallic boxes and small metallic boxes spaced evenly along the straps with the narrow center strap going over the boxes. The boxes should have edge detailing. Decorative buckles should be present on the fork in the front “Y”, at the base of the “Y” where it connects with the belt, and along the back where it connects to the belt. Decorated shoulder armor with three plates should be worn. Merumeru may also wear a scaled helmet as seen in ROTS battle scenes and a forearm shield with similar decoration as the shoulder armour.

Standard written by Author: Standard reviewed by the Costume Standards Committee: 17 May 2017

PLEASE NOTE: The costume standards are a guide, yet are not an all inclusive outline of required elements. The judges will be looking for quality of workmanship, accurate execution and use of materials in addition to these general standards check lists. If you have a question about fabrics, colours, and parts choices for your build please contact the Detachment Officer for your category about parts/materials you are considering before you start your build, or post a ‘Work in Progress’ (WIP) thread on the forum. (LCJ listing here)